At Manchester United, we believe that excellence on the pitch starts with excellence off the pitch. Our team thrives in a high-performance environment, united by a shared passion for success. We aim to elevate the standard of performance through collaboration and continuous growth, creating a space where everyone can contribute their best to our common goals.
We work together at our iconic Manchester United offices, enabling connection and innovation as we look ahead to what we can achieve as a global football club. We are excited to bring in passionate people who share our vision and drive for success.
We’re looking for a Head of Software Engineering to lead the transformation of Manchester United’s in-house software capability. This is a senior leadership position, responsible for all application development across football and commercial operations, including self-service analytics platforms, bespoke football applications, data visualisation tools, and internal systems that directly support the club’s competitive advantage.
The role requires someone who can professionalise a software engineering function, establish modern development practices, and build a team capable of delivering reliable, maintainable, and scalable software in a fast-paced sporting environment. You will balance immediate delivery demands with the longer-term goal of building a sustainable engineering culture.
Key Responsibilities Define and own the software engineering strategy, standards, and roadmap for the Data & AI group, establishing and embedding modern engineering practices including version control, code review, CI/CD, automated testing, and documentation.
Lead and develop a team of software developers and testers, managing recruitment, performance, individual development, and day-to-day priorities across the engineering function.
Architect and deliver full-stack web applications that make the club’s data accessible, actionable, and valuable, working closely with data engineers and data scientists to surface insights through intuitive platforms.
Own and evolve the club’s central insights platform, embedding powerful data tools and visualisations across football and business functions with a focus on performance, reliability, and user experience.
Make pragmatic technology choices that balance quality with delivery speed, managing technical debt and ensuring the codebase remains healthy and extensible.
Collaborate closely with football operations, commercial, and IT stakeholders to understand requirements, prioritise development work, and ensure software products are aligned to the club’s strategic priorities.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise Significant experience leading software engineering teams, with a strong track record of building and shipping production applications.
Deep technical expertise across the full stack, with strong experience in JavaScript/TypeScript, React.js, Node.js, and Python in production environments.
Proven ability to establish and embed engineering best practices (CI/CD, automated testing, code review, documentation) in teams that are maturing or scaling.
Experience architecting and delivering data-centric applications, ideally integrating with modern cloud platforms (Azure, Databricks) and consuming APIs and data services.
Strong people management skills with a track record of developing engineers, setting clear expectations, and building a culture of quality and accountability.
Effective communicator who can translate business requirements into technical solutions and work with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
Passion for using technology to improve performance in high-performance environments. Experience in elite sport, football, or similarly fast-paced operational settings is desirable but not essential.
What we offer Annual Incentive Scheme to reward your dedication and hard work
25 days annual leave (plus
Head of Software Engineering in Sale employer: Manchester United FC
At Manchester United, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, fostering a high-performance culture that champions collaboration and continuous growth. Our iconic location not only provides a vibrant work environment but also offers unique opportunities for personal and professional development within the world of football. Join us in making a meaningful impact on the lives of young athletes while being part of a diverse and inclusive team that values every contribution.
